Kenya plans to set up a Textile City to pull in global textile investment firm

Kenyan Industrialization Cabinet Secretary Adan Mohamed, while addressing a delegation of 40 international apparel manufacturing companies announcement the Kenyan government’s plans to establish a Textile City at the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Athi River which is currently at an advanced stage.

The Textile city will be set up to meet the manufacturing investment needs for leading global garment marketing firms. By establishing Textile City for onward leasing to potential investors, the Kenyan government is sure of tackling the existing industrialization hurdles at the Athi River EPZA zone as well as other locations.

Such firms are likely to take up investment opportunities relating to cotton ginning and yarn spinning, manufacture of textile fabrics and home fabrics, manufacture of apparel and manufacture of garment accessories, and labels among other ventures.

Through the textile city, the Kenya government targets to attract almost 100 textile investment firm which will help create employment for more than 2 lakh people by end of 2016.

In the recent National industrialization Roadmap outlined, the textile city is aimed at facilitating national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at Sh350 to Sh520billion per year for the next 16 years.

With the establishment of Textile City in Kenya, it will be the first country in sub-Sahara Africa to provide a fully serviced Textile City at EPZ.